I should have explained this earlier, but I couldn’t, so let me explain it now.
The Academy’s auditorium is used for various purposes. Mainly, it’s a gathering place for events, and since the academy lacks an outdoor sports field, it’s also used like an indoor gym.
And of course, it is also used for sparring like now.
Sparring is done with real weapons. Using wooden swords or similar items is completely out of the picture. The setting is that once you graduate and become a hero, you must charge out with actual weapons—the reasoning behind this is just a setup. In reality, most academy stories haphazardly include actual weapon fights after seeing it done.
Well, adding more to the setup doesn’t particularly matter. In any case, in this world, having a setup matters more than when it was created.
Anyway, back to the main topic,
Fighting with real weapons is, of course, extremely dangerous. After all, they’re weapons designed to kill people, and swinging them at an opponent is something one should never do.
Naturally, the academy is well aware that losing students during training is foolish, which is why the several auditoriums in the academy are equipped with safety measures for safe sparring.
The most representative of these is the ‘Accident Prevention Magic.’
Being slashed by a sword, getting hit in the head by a blunt object, or being stabbed by a spear—they’re all fatal injuries that could easily kill someone. It’s obviously a huge threat to the students’ safety.
To prevent any accidents where a student could die due to miscalculating strength, there is a magic spell in place that activates if ‘any object strikes a person with energy above a certain level.’
This incredibly complex and intricate magic is supposedly the pinnacle of modern magical technology or something like that.
Thanks to this, minor injuries like scratches or bruises are tolerable, but fatal attacks are minimized to mere light injuries.
Well, it would be meaningless if a monster capable of tearing apart such magic showed up and started swinging around, but as far as I know, only Lee Ji-An has that level of skill. Of course, he’s kind-hearted and wouldn’t harm others, and he’s skilled enough to stop his sword right before slicing.
In addition to this, there are devices to repair torn clothing (basically taking about six hours, which I know very well because I use it the most) and devices that lightly heal minor injuries (my healing is more effective; I know that from experience), so there is plenty of advanced equipment installed.
If you wonder why such amazing magic isn’t used in real combat—well, as mentioned above, it’s a large-scale advanced magic, making it difficult to deploy, and since the system itself can’t distinguish between friend and foe, it’s not very useful in battle. Making it distinguish friend from foe would obviously make things far more complicated.
Secondly, if there is a teacher in the auditorium, that teacher is automatically recognized as the leader.
This isn’t magic; it’s science. It’s a highly intelligent system that recognizes a teacher wearing a digital tag as the leader and scores students or adds tasks based on what that teacher says.
Exactly.
In sparring, the teacher also acts as the referee.
Of course, there are no teachers available for voluntary sparring after class.
So, what happens when there’s no referee in voluntary sparring? How do matches end and determine victory or defeat without a referee?
First of all—
“Ha, surrender—guh!”
The side that says ‘surrender’ loses.
However, there’s a minor issue.
As mentioned earlier, the basic systems follow the accident prevention magic, but the linked voice recognition is created with modern technology.
In other words, the recognition rate is not much different from the voice recognition system of my previous world.
“Han-haiing!”
So, unless you say the word completely, the system doesn’t recognize it properly.
Thus, if you manage to cover your opponent’s mouth who was about to say ‘surrender’ with your hand, or swing a morning star at their head to make them unable to finish the word and avoid it, the system wouldn’t recognize it either.
“Ugh! Guh-guh!”
“Yikes! W-wait…!”
With one hand tightly gripping a student’s mouth, and swinging the morning star with the other hand. Naturally, the shield was already rolling on the floor.
A student with this level of skill doesn’t even need to block with a shield.
Looking below the podium, the onlooking officer cadets were all pale. It’s only natural to feel that way when witnessing a monster capable of holding down a guy a head taller than him with one hand while swinging a terrifying-looking morning star with the other.
And over to the side, the Selena Group was—
Rustle rustle.
“Wanna eat?”
“When did you buy this?”
Aurora was offering popcorn to Lina.
“Why are they getting hurt?”
“Clara’s parents are said to be gone.”
“Sounds about right.”
Selena and Linea were having that conversation as if it was nothing.
So, the atmosphere was one where it felt like this was bound to happen from the start.
…It seems like they trust me, but in a strangely peculiar way.
– Well, anyway.
Back to the main point, the second condition for losing.
Well, what else would it be, of course, it’s K.O.
So in that sense—
The person trembling and caught by me, and the one quaking at the morning star that could fly at any moment—
Both mean that they have to play with me until I put them down.
Perfect, I have questions to ask. This is nice.
*
The match was one-sided.
From the midpoint on, Clara threw her shield aside and swung the morning star freely. Clara looked incredibly graceful.
Even though the morning star she was holding didn’t seem light at all, she moved her body with such ease, as if she were dancing.
Twisting her waist, spreading her legs wide, bending her knees. She gripped the morning star with both hands, then switched to one hand, swinging it over her head, spinning her body around, and then switching back to the other hand.
Every time she spun, her neatly arranged hair spread out from centrifugal force. Droplets of sweat flew off, but it didn’t feel dirty at all.
The saintly robe clinging to her body because of sweat highlighted her physique even more.
“Hah!”
Her breath was rough. Clara’s high-pitched voice slightly wavered with exertion, creating an indescribable feeling in the air.
Underneath her fluttering short skirt, her long, sweat-gleaming legs sparkled. It wasn’t the soaked look you’d see at a summer swimming pool, but the sweat cascading down like a tease over the well-toned skin honed through continuous sparring and training.
The areas where sweat flowed shimmered in the light, contrasting beautifully with the still-dry parts. Each powerful movement of her legs spread the moisture ever so slightly, reminiscent of a greedy human hand slowly encroaching upon untouched virgin land.
“Hu, aahh!”
Of course, the two boys on the platform were rolling on the floor in utter disarray, so they had no time to leisurely admire the sight.
“…”
The students initially analyzing Clara’s movement, as well as those worried about how long those two poor souls would keep getting beaten up, were silent as they eventually just watched in awe.
Some blushed deeply, while others covered their faces, peeking through their fingers.
BAM!
The morning star smashed down, impacting the ground. Thankfully, the staging area was sturdy enough to withstand it, so nothing broke. However, the student who saw it wedged between his legs was just in shock.
“Yikes! I-I surrender! Surrender!”
One eye of the trembling student was already bruised blue. It wasn’t a major injury, but it came from the full swing of Clara’s morning star and crashing onto the floor.
Slammed with a morning star gripped with both hands full-swung, the student had his moment to float in the air before crashing back down to the floor.
Thanks to the magic that minimizes fatal injuries, he wasn’t poked in the eye by the spikes, nor did his skull shatter against the blades between the spikes, and he didn’t even suffer a concussion from the impact. Nevertheless, it felt like he went through the worst of it.
He could easily imagine that if it were real combat, his head would vanish before he could even think of his last words.
“P-please, I surrender.”
The second student, already kneeling and barely holding himself with both hands, was facedown. His skin under the uniform must be thoroughly bruised. Honestly, even maintaining this position was tough. His arms were aching with muscle pain and bruising.
Both of them felt one clear thing.
The fact that they could only speak of their surrender was thanks to Clara’s mercy for briefly stopping her attacks and letting them breathe.
Clara’s breath was rough, but she didn’t seem exhausted at all. Even drenched in sweat, she showed no signs of fatigue. If she wished to keep swinging that morning star, she could easily continue for another several minutes.
The invisible barrier surrounding the stage melted away, finally granting them permission to step down, yet both, already exhausted in body and spirit, collapsed like dried fish on the ground.
“Whew…”
Clara swept back her hair that had fallen forward. The wet veil-like hair on her forehead moved back, revealing her white skin hidden beneath. A drop of sweat rolled down her forehead, following the temple, cheek, chin, and down her neck, finally adding a little moisture to the area around her damp clothing.
“Hmm.”
Letting out a breath, Clara placed her chin on her hand, tilting her head as if pondering something.
“Let me ask a few questions.”
The seated student immediately nodded anxiously. The jaw she had gripped moments ago was still tingling. Having experienced it, he was terrified of saying something silly.
Seeing him nod, Clara smiled sweetly, satisfied.
*
Well, he should have thought before messing with the opponent.
I looked down at the student sprawled before me with a triumphant smile.
Even if the Church is one step below the government, which has the authority to plan and execute nearly every matter of human society, the Church still maintains a system and differentiates fact from fiction.
Of course, there are rotten parts just like any government, and there are also stubborn fools who refuse to acknowledge what’s in front of their eyes.
To say that it’s a power group that cannot be handled lightly even before deliberating if it’s just or logical.
If a person could be placed in a symbolic position by that power group, it implies that, regardless of what real influence that symbol holds, there is at least some valid reasoning behind it.
The position of a Saintess holds no special authority.
While there’s more freedom compared to the time I lived as a nun, that’s merely a reflection of Father Nguyen’s intent, who believes ‘one cannot dare to bind what God cherishes.’ If I had been affiliated with a different cathedral, I might have faced stricter restrictions.
Sure, the monthly stipend has increased, but that also means I have obligations like attending church when summoned or participating in relevant events. At the very least, it’s highly likely the Central Church would prevent me from recklessly charging into battle like last time. It was too revealing when a witch showed up knowing I was there.
I heard the Church is treating that matter quite seriously and has been fully activating the Inquisition against me. For that reason, Andrea seemed pleased about an opportunity to recruit new members again, as Linea jokingly mentioned.
It may seem off-topic, but what I want to say is this.
In a world where God’s existence is proven and one can use Holy Power or actual miracles, disdaining the status of ‘Saintess’ is an act only a fool would attempt.
However, a student from the Officer Academy, who has learned quite a bit and is striving to forge their abilities to the point of never surrendering their status, hurling insults at the Saintess feels odd; not entirely impossible, but certainly strange.
So, I decided to let off steam by defeating both of them.
I’m not someone who can foolishly let it slide upon hearing others insult my family.
Only when I calmed down and felt refreshed did the logical processes in my brain begin to work again.
These two were the first to openly hurl insults at me, but I had already noticed others glaring at me weirdly for some time. I wondered if I was lumping this duo in with the other students in the academy, until I finally stumbled into them hurling direct insults.
“Who told you I was an orphan?”
Well, let’s start with this.
Indeed, most nuns were orphans. While there were a few exceptions, the number of non-orphan nuns was incredibly small. However, even so, in any given convent meeting, there might be enough non-orphans to fill a single table.
Though my parents, who were alive and well in the world I came from, are indeed not here, from the perspective of this world, I can be considered an orphan.
But the Church never divulges personal information like that. They take it so far that even if the police or prosecutors come to investigate, they’ll just send them away saying, “Let me conduct an internal investigation first.”
This insistence is to maintain their status as ‘the second power organization,’ but equally part of the high pride they have for the ‘welfare’ of the society they serve.
Bringing someone who is definitely likely to sink to the bottom of society and nourishing them to grow up humanly is the Church’s role, and if there are vulnerabilities, they have an obligation to cover them up.
Throughout history, orphans have often been looked down upon by society. Even if they didn’t do anything wrong, they might get bullied at school or face other disadvantages. This is why the Church is highly sensitive to the potential for personal records of the nuns or monks they manage being leaked.
Those who the Church protects are, at least in name, the children of the Gods.
Thus, the students at the academy, let alone Aurora and Linea, don’t even know I’m an orphan. I also don’t know if those two are orphans or have come here for other reasons. Asking about it itself would be a huge faux pas within the convent.
But if there’s someone who is convinced I’m an orphan, they’d have to catch a whiff of something shady.
“What… what were you saying—?”
I glared at him, and he quickly added “yo” at the end of his statement.
Yo?
Yo-o-o-o↘o↗?
Now, this guy’s completely lost his military discipline.
Well, I won’t call him out on that. I mean, I look like a 15-year-old high school girl, after all—not to mention a military high school girl.
“I’m asking where you heard that I’m an orphan. Who did you hear it from? If it’s a rumor, there must be a starting point, right?”
I slightly lifted the morning star and tapped it down on the floor. The student, now frozen at the sight of the morning star wedged between his legs, screamed in reflex.
“Yikes! I-I-I don’t know! I heard it just passing by! Clara, I mean, the Saintess is an orphan and got a recommendation from the Church, so she just entered without taking the exam! I-I don’t know! I swear I won’t believe such nonsense anymore!”
Hearing “without taking the exam,” I scowled, prompting the student to immediately change his posture, kneeling and bowing down.
…The dignity of the officer academy student has completely turned into a rag.
“Well.”
That’s right.
I was indeed designated as a special student of the academy after displaying excellent Holy Power, and I’ve never taken a special exam. That’s written in the setting. There’s supposedly a strict entrance exam, but I had a free pass, and because of that, I didn’t know close combat at all despite my overflowing talent. My physical stamina was lacking, too.
However, look at this from the view of others.
After being appointed as a special student of the academy, I repeatedly endured a lifestyle of waking up early and sleeping at 2 AM, earning no more than four to five hours of sleep daily to cram in all the study materials I could, since I had to represent the Church at school, considering I shouldn’t tarnish their image.
But can someone say I just strolled in here because the Church helped me out when they see me grinding myself so hard?
Sure, that part is true.
A very painful truth.
It’s unfortunate that I can’t perform a drop kick on them since they’re already down and face-down.
“Well then.”
So, I’ve got my catch.
“Where’d you hear that story? Here or before you got here?”
“Um, it’s an old rumor….”
Old says a lot, I presume that means it started at their previous school.
Which means someone was purposefully spreading my slander—not just slander, but rather specific personal details no one else could possibly know.
Should I consider this speculation? Did the first-year student from a nun background come to such a conclusion by observing that I’m the only one here?
Well, maybe yes, maybe no. Nothing is certain yet.
However, now remembering the aforementioned witch who intruded upon already knowing my whereabouts—better safe than sorry. The magic point discovery in the city isn’t too far back either.
“…”
What should I do? Should I beat them up again to figure out if it’s fear preventing them from confessing, or are they still just holding back?
That thought crossed my mind as I leaned a little sideways against the morning star, noticing the two before me trembling.
…
Let’s stop this.
The battle is over since they’ve already surrendered; hitting them more will only ruin my image. A warning should suffice. After getting to let off some steam, I feel refreshingly good. Ah, I owe my gratitude to those two for that.
“Well, it’s fine then.”
Upon saying that, I could see both their bodies tense up, finally relaxing.
“The fact that I entered the academy through church recommendation, as well as that I don’t have parents, is true. But—”
But, brought their shoulders up again.
“I’ve been pulling all-nighters to make sure the Church’s reputation isn’t tarnished since the day my admission was confirmed. My Holy Power far exceeds the healing abilities of those advanced equipment you see over there. Physically, I’m overflowing with potential—something I just proved right here.”
“…”
Well, they’ve got no arguments now, do they?
“If you’re going to remark about someone lacking parents, I hope you remember today’s events before you do so in the future.”
“…”
No reply. Their heads were bowed low, and I couldn’t see their faces. What kind of expressions are they wearing? Perhaps it’s disbelief? Or is it an expression of pure anger? Any of those expressions feels deeply satisfying. Indeed, physically treating them is the way to go. It feels good for both parties involved.
I smiled broadly at them once more before stepping down from the podium, still gripping the morning star.
“Ughghghgh!”
As I descended, I raised the morning star high above my head, stretching out my body. My muscles tightened and my entire body felt refreshed.
Ah, this feels great.
My face must be shining brightly right now.
“Hey, you okay?”
When I stepped down, Selena handed me a towel with a slightly flushed face. Why is she suddenly blushing?
“Yeah, I feel refreshed. I think I could easily handle three more of them.”
As I accepted the towel and smiled brightly, Selena’s cheeks turned even redder.
Looking around, Satsuki, Linea, and Jian all had slightly flushed faces as well.
“Well, um….”
Selena rolled her eyes, seeming troubled.
Really, what’s going on?
“I’m fine. Honestly, I think I could do this all day if—”
“Wahh!”
Selena suddenly raised her arms and screamed, interrupting me. What the heck is happening? Moreover, the faces of the kids behind her were pinker than ever. Lina was pressing her eyes tightly, while Aurora seemed to be laughing nervously, indicating that indeed something was amiss.
But what that something is… I’m completely lost here.
Selena squeezed my shoulders tightly, leaning her face toward me.
“Listen, Clara, you mustn’t say things like that in other places. Especially never say such things when there are only guys around. Understood?”
“Y-yes?”
“Answer.”
Her serious tone forced me to reply.
“Y-yes….”
Though somehow still bewildered, I complied.
The kids in the back had fully bowed their heads down, rubbing their temples or pinching their noses… whatever they were doing looked a lot like what Lina did earlier. A gesture of “She didn’t get it.”
What is going on?
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